A few were decidedly pretty; all were studiously
clean and well dressed, and they formed a marked contrast in appearance
and general style to the Cypriote women; the breed was superior, their
hands were delicate and well cared for, but disfigured by the prevalent
habit of staining the nails and palms with henna. This plant is called
shenna by all Turks and Cypriotes, and it is imported from Syria for the
purpose of dyeing the hair, and also the feet and hands of Turkish
women. It is not a production of Cyprus, as has been erroneously stated
by some authors; I made particular inquiries in all portions of the
island, and of all classes, upon this subject. The henna, or shenna, is
only to be met with in some few gardens, where it is cultivated as an
ornamental shrub, in the same manner that the arbutus may be seen in the
shrubberies of England. The Turkish women are very particular in dyeing
their hair, and use various preparations. The shenna produces a glossy
red, which some years ago was the fashionable tinge in England. There is
also a small seed of a plant which is prepared by roasting until burnt,
like coffee, and then reducing to powder, which is formed into a paste
with oil; this is a well-known dye, which turns the hair into a deep
black. There was a sudden rush for information when the British
occupation of Cyprus was announced to the startled public, and books
were rather hurriedly put together, compiled from various authorities,
which, although yielding valuable information upon many points,
unfortunately perpetuated errors by reproducing erroneous statements.
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